A study on trauma documentation in accident and emergency attendance records

Abstract

Aim: To study the adequacy of trauma documentation in accident and emergency (A&E) attendance records. Method: We reviewed the A&E attendance records of major trauma requiring trauma-team care in the resuscitation room from January to June 1999 and July to December 2001. Thirty-eight items including the history, symptoms and signs of injury were scored with reference to the teaching of the Advanced Trauma Life Support course. The mean score and rate of documentation of each item were calculated. Additional items on biomechanics and environmental factors of injury were also examined. The performance of emergency medicine trainees and non-emergency medicine trainees was analysed. Results: A total of 128 records were included, 46 and 82 records being from 1999 and 2001 respectively. The maximum documentation score was 38. The mean documentation score in 2001 was 23.27; and this was significantly better than 20.37 in 1999 (p < 0.05). The documentation rates of pre-hospital, biomechanics and environmental items were poor. Notably, 15 out of the 38 items were preformatted in the A&E records and 11 of these preformatted items had documentation rates of > 80%. Emergency medicine trainees had better scores in 2001 than in 1999. However, non-emergency medicine trainees did not show improvement in their documentation. Conclusion: Trauma documentation has improved since 1999 for emergency medicine trainees. Preformatted charts may increase the rate of documentation. Information on pre-hospital care and injury mechanism was not well documented.